INTERNATIONAL WHEAT GENOME SEQUENCING CONSORTIUM (IWGSC)

THE INTERNATIONAL WHEAT GENOME SEQUENCING CONSORTIUM (IWGSC) IS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE CONSORTIUM, ESTABLISHED IN 2005 BY A GROUP OF WHEAT GROWERS, PLANT SCIENTISTS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BREEDERS.

The Wheat Initiative strategic research agenda defines the generation of a wheat genome sequence a high priority “game-changer” that will be a cross-cutting resource to support wheat biology, genetics, and breeding.

The IWGSC delivered this game-changing resource to the community in 2018 with the first Chinese spring reference sequence (IWGSC RefSeq v1.0) and further updated versions since (currently IWGSC RefSeqv2.1).

The goal of the IWGSC is to lay a foundation to accelerate wheat improvement and to empower all aspects of basic and applied wheat science to increase profitability throughout the industry.

The IWGSC vision is to enhance wheat breeding through an increased understanding of the molecular basis of traits and their allelic diversity.

The IWGSC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the United States and is led by a Board of Directors and a Coordinating Committee. The Board of Directors decides the overall implementation and management strategies. The Coordinating Committee, composed of sponsors and leaders of IWGSC projects, is responsible for establishing the overall scientific strategy and the strategic roadmap.

The IWGSC uses a milestone-based, adaptable strategy that ensures the immediate availability of significant outputs for wheat breeders and the wheat industry at large in parallel to continued advancements in basic research on the wheat genome.

In August 2018, the IWGSC published in the journal Science a detailed description and analysis of the high quality reference sequence of the bread wheat genome, IWGSC RefSeq v1.0. This achievement is the culmination of 13 years of collaborative international research coordinated by the IWGSC.

An updated version of the Chinese spring reference sequence (IWGSC RefSeqv2.1) was made available to the community in April 2021. To complement the new assembly, a new version of the annotation (IWGSC RefSeq Annotation v2.1) was also released, integrating manually curated genes submitted by the wheat community.

All IWGSC data are available at the IWGSC data repository hosted at INRAE-URGI.

THE IWGSC IS NOW IN PHASE II AND FOCUSES ITS EFFORTS ON THESE ACTIVITIES:

(1)   IWGSC Gold Standard Annotation: Integration of manual and functional annotation to current versions of the IWGSC RefSeq assembly.

(2)   Genomics Tools: Development of tools for the community such as exome array, promotor capture panel, and other resources.

(3)   IWGSC Diversity project: Characterization of the breadth of worldwide wheat diversity.

With these activities, the IWGSC will reach beyond the reference sequence to provide breeders and the broader scientific community with a full genome-sequence based tool- box for wheat improvement.

The IWGSC organizes at least three workshops each year, typically held in conjunction with other relevant meetings such as the Plant and Animal Genome Conference and international wheat meetings.

The IWGSC also organizes webinars throughout the year to connect the wheat community beyond major meetings. The webinars showcase research results, tools, and resources. They are free to attend, and the recordings are posted on the IWGSC YouTube channel to allow access for people who cannot attend the live event.

Each year, the IWGSC recognizes significant scientific achievements by giving awards to young scientists (IWGSC and Catherine Feuillet Early Career Award) and accomplished scientists (Outstanding Leadership Award).

The IWGSC has two types of membership. Coordinating Committee members are individuals or organizations who support the IWGSC through scientific contributions or through financial contributions. General membership is open to any individual who is interested in supporting the goals and activities of the consortium.

THE IWGSC HAS 8 SPONSORS:

  • Daicel Arbor Biosciences

  • BASF

  • CIMMYT

  • Florimond Desprez

  • INRAE

  • Kansas Wheat

  • RAGT

  • Syngenta

IWGSC LINKS